Genki Cosmos: Sonic journeys through space and time
Genki Instruments has a new software synthesizer that will echo your music across the universe. Cosmos is playful, intuitive and bound by the gravitation pull of synthesized sounds, let’s check it out.
Cosmos
Genki Instruments is known for the Wave Ring controller device that sits on your finger and lets you control MIDI events and CV modulations. Cosmos has nothing to do with that, it’s a software synth, and wants to invite you to forge a new path of sonic discovery through a universe of emulated electrons and galaxies of modulation.
Cosmos looks unlike anything I’ve seen before. It throws up sleek lines and curves, drawing planetary modulations, following spirals of parameters as they dance and play on the screen. It’s a single page of sparse yet engaging movement and interaction that lets you play with ideas without getting bogged down in the details. The colours and style really leap off the page – this could be fun!
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The sound engine offers 8-note polyphony and gives you control of variable shape virtual analog oscillators. But rather than talk about wave shapes we have concepts of Harmonics and Tone to play with that encircle each other and shoot off to engage in Noise and a Sub Oscillator. The virtual analog filter has its frequency described by the circumference of a planet with Resonance taking a large orbit while dampening and Drive add character and collision.
The two ADSR envelopes are described with slightly strange curves but still manage to convey the right idea while the UFOs (LFOs) are similarly different but familiar enough to feel right at home.
On the left is an arpeggiator with octaves like atoms and the rate spiralling off into the distance. On the right is a space echo and delay effect with three-quarter circle controls.
Overall the interface presents a futuristic and fun synthesizer that’s totally familiar while being remarkably different. It wants to be intuitive, it wants you to find your way through experimentation and moving and interacting with stuff. Cosmos is really nicely done.
Cosmos is available for Windows and macOS as a VST3 and AU plugin. It’s on a special price of $69.
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One response to “Genki Cosmos: Sonic journeys through space and time”
Looks and sounds great but no demo.